Sheet-feeding mechanism for printing and analogous machines.



PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

J. F. JOHNSON. SHEET FEEDING MEGHANISM FOR PRINTING AND ANALOGOUS MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7. 1905.

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1m: NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 833,219. PATENTED 0GT.16, 1906. I

J. P. JOHNSON.

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING AND ANALOGOUS-MAGHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 7. 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FREDERICK JOHNSON, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

SHEET-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING AND ANALOGOUS MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed December 7,1905. Serial No- 290,737-

To coll whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN FREDERICK JOHNSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at .90 Highcross street, Leicester, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Sheet- Feeding Mechanism for Printing and Analogous Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to printing, ruling, and analogous machines in which a succession of single sheets are fed thereto; and the object of the invention is to provide improved sheet-feeding mechanism for automatically separating and feeding the sheets one at a time to the machine.

The pile of sheets which are to be fed one at a time into the machine is located on a tray or carrier having a concave or inwardlycurved surface, and the said tray may rest upon a bed, which may be raised by mechanism hereinafter described to compensate for the reduction in height of the pile of sheets. The separation of the sheets is effected by fingers moving outwardly in opposite directions from'the center of the sheet and in contact with the same, thereby raising and straightening out the top sheet and separating it from the next adjacent sheet, so that a space or cavity is formed between the top two sheets, into which the feeder may enter and push the top sheet before it into the machine. The sheet separating fingers are preferably in the form of rollers on the ends of two reciprocating arms. The rollers are mounted upon the said arms so that they have a rotary motion in one direction only i. 0., as they approach to the center of the sheet-and a non-rotary motion in the opposite directioni. e., as they move outward toward the edge of the sheet. The periphery of the rotary fingers or separators may be fitted or covered With rubber or equivalent material which will make good frictional contact with the sheet and straighten it as the fingers recede. The arms carrying the separator-fingers are movably hinged and pivoted to slides reciprocated vertically by mechanism operable from the feeder-shaft. A sliding rod or Weight, movably carried in guides on each side of the said slides, is lowered onto opposite sides of the sheet at or before the time the fingers commence their inward motion to prevent the sheet shifting accidentally. The feeder hereinbefore mentioned is reciprocated to and fro simultaneously with and by the same mechanism that operates-the said slides.

The invention will be clearly understood from the following detail description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of sheet-feeding mechanism constructed and arranged according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 show the separator-fingers in different positions. Fig. 5 is a detailview of one of the separator-fingers. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the slides hereinafter referred to. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the means employed for raising the bed and tray.

Figs. 5 and 6 are drawn to a larger scale than the remaining figures.

The pile of sheets which are to be fed one at a time into the machine is carried on a tray 1, having a concave or inwardly-curved surface 2, Fig. 2, and the said tray is supported on frames 3, which may be raised rel atively to the separator and feeder in order to compensate for the reduction in the height of the said pile due to the sheets being fed into the machine.

The sheet-separating fingers are preferably in the form of rollers 4, mounted upon the ends of two reciprocating arms 5, said arms being pivoted at their opposite ends to a cross-bar 6. The said rollers 4, as shown in Fig. 5, are attached to or formed integrally with ratchet-wheels 7, and fiat springs 8, attached to the arms'5, engage the teeth of the said ratchet-wheels to allow a rotary motlon of the rollers in one direction only. The said rollers 4 are further provided on the periphery thereof with rubber, felt, or other flexible material 9 to make good frictional contact with the sheet. I

The cross-bar 6, to which the arms 5 are pivoted, is rigidly attached at 10 to a vertical rod 11, adapted to reciprocate in a slide or guide 12, fixed to and carried by the framework 13. The said rod 11 is actuated by means of a crank 14 on the driven shaft 15, connection being made between the end of the rod and said crank by a lever 16, Figs. 1 and 2. As the shaft 15 rotates,'being driven by chain or equivalent means from the cylinder of the machine onto the chain-wheel or pulley 17, the rod 11 is moved up and down in the slide 12, and as the cross-bar descends the separator fingers or rollers 4 move inwardly and in contact with the top sheet of the pile, as shown in Fig. 3. The said rollers 4 are free to rotate during the inward movement; but as the rod 11 and cross-bar 6 rise the rollers move outwardly and are held from rotation by the springs 8 and in consequence of the frictional contact engendered raise and straighten out the top sheet and separate it from the next adjacent sheet, so that a space is formed between the two sheets, as shown in Fig. 4. The tray 1, in addition to having a curved surface, is provided with a cam or irregular projection 18 at the part over which the rotary fingers 4 travel to assist them in their action in straightening out the top sheet. I

The cross-bar 6 is further provided with slides 19, which move up and down in engage ment with fixed rods 20, and movably carried on guides 21 on the said cross-bar are sliding weights 22. As the cross-bar 6 descends the said weights 22 are lowered onto opposite sides of the sheets at or before the time the rollers 4 commence their inward motion, and

the said weights remain in contact, as shown in Fig. 3, until the rollers return in the opposite direction to separate and straighten out the sheet, whereupon the said weights will lift clear of the sheets with the rising of the cross-bar 6, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The said weights 22 act to prevent the top sheet being accidentally shifted during the inward motion of the rollers 4. The feeder, which enters the space formed between the two top sheets, as previously mentioned, to feed the top sheet forward, preferably consists of a reciprocating slide 23, adapted to move in horizontal guides attached to the frame 13. The apex 24 of the said slide 23,which first enters the cavity formed underneath the top sheet, is formed with rising slides 25, which increase in height toward their rear, as shown in Fig. 1, so that there is a natural tendency on their part to raise and separate the sheet after once the apex 24 has passed thereunder, and the rear portion of the feeder is formed with upwardly-disposed. ledges 26, which collide with the edge of the. sheet and push it for ward to the machine. The said feeder is reci'procated to and fro simultaneously with and by the same mechanism that operates the rod 11 and cross-bar 6, the necessary connection being made by means of a cord or equivalent 27, passed around a pulley 28 and attached to the top of the rod 11 and the rear of the slide 23. A counterweight 29 is also connected to .the end of the slide 23 by means of a cord 30, passed over guide-pulleys 31, and it will be clearly seen from Fig. 1 that as the cross-bar 6 rises and separates the top sheet the feeder and slide 23 will be simulta neously moved to carry said sheet forward, the said feeder being returned to its back- .ward position by the counterweight 29 as the cross-bar descends preparatory to separating and feeding the next sheet. A counterweight 32 is connected to the upper end of the vert1 cal rod 11 by means of a cord or equivalent 33, passed over pulleys 34, to take the weight of said rod and parts connected thereto and to assist the upward movement of the same.

It will be understood that the apparatus herein described is located at the rear of the printing or like machine and in such proximity as to conveniently deliver the sheets to the machine as they pass down the incline 35 from the feeder.

- In order to raise the tray 1 slightly vertically as each one or more of the sheets are fed to the machine, the frames 3, before mentioned, are slidably carried in guides 36, attached to the framework 13, and a spindle 37, supported at each end by the said guides, is adapted to lift the said frames 3 by means of cords, bands, or equivalents 38, attached at 39 to the lower part of the frames and adapted to be wound round the spindle 37 as the latter is rotated. (See Fig. 7 This rotation of the spindle 37 is effected from a shaft 40, supported in bearings 41 and having mounted thereon a ratchet-wheel 42, adapted to be rotated a tooth at a time by the engagement of a detent 43, attached to and revolving with the driving-shaft 15. The motion is transmitted from the shaft 40 to the spindle 37 by means of a chain 44, passed around pulleys 45 and 46, mounted on the said shaft and spindle, respectively. It will be clearly seen from Fig. 1 that the rotation of the spindle 37 is very slight in comparison with that of the driving-shaft 15, and consequently a very slight vertical lift of the tray 1 is the result of each revolution of the latter shaft. The chain-pulley 46 is provided with a thumb-screw 47 in order to impart the necessary motion to the spindle 37; but on releasing the said screw the spindle will run free in the pulley, and thus lower the tray for a fresh pile of sheets. i

What I claim, then, is-

1. Sheet-feeding mechanism comprising a tray having a concave surface for supporting a pile of sheets, rotatable fingers, pivoted arms to carry said fin ers, a slide to carry said arms and adapted to be reciprocated to cause the fingers to move in opposite directions and in contact with the said pile, a feeder the apex of which is moved forward simultaneously with the rising of the slide to enter a space formed between the top sheet and adjacent sheet of the pile to feed the said top sheet forward, substantially as described.

2. In sheet-feeding mechanism the combination with a tray having avconcave surface and means for raising said tray, of fingers movable in opposite directions and rotatable in one direction in contact with a pile of sheets supported on said tray, a slide, and slidable weights carried on said slide and IIO to said slide for carrying said fingers, a feeder adapted to rest on the said pile of sheets as the fingers move inward, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In sheet-feeding mechanism the combination of a tray for supporting a pile of sheets, means for raising said tray, fingers rotatable in one direction and movable in opposite directions over said pile, a slide, arms pivoted and a counterweight for returning said feeder, constructed arranged and operated substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 15 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN FREDERICK JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

E. N. LEWIS, GEORGE LEsTER.

reciprocated simultaneously With and operated by mechanism for actuating said slide, 

